Wednesday, December 06, 2006

GILBERTS, Ill. -- Nancy Starrenburg, an avid animal rescuer from northwest suburban Gilberts, has been missing a part of her family since early November -- her 3-year-old cat, Tiki.

Tiki's not just any household cat. He's an F1 Savannah (similar to the one pictured) -- 75 percent African serval (an African wild cat) and 25 percent domestic Bengal (an ancestor of the Asian leopard cat). These cats are rare, and while Starrenburg declined to put an exact dollar amount on Tiki's value, breeding sites say they can go for as much as a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo.

Tiki is not only rare and valuable, but he's smart, having learned to open doors. And on Nov. 9 he did just that and ran out of the family's home, according to Starrenburg.

"We're just heartbroken. He's truly our baby," said Starrenburg, who has two dogs and 10 cats on her farm. "It's just so unfair considering I'm very active in rescue and I've helped so many guys [cats and dogs] out by finding them foster homes and by taking in strays."

Regardless, Tiki's atypical appearance and athletic ability would make him hard to miss, said Starrenburg, who has posted several signs around the community describing the exotic cat.

"He has a beige, silvery and tawny coat with black spots," she said. "He's very slender and tall with large ears with eye spots on the back of them and he can leap 8 to 8 feet in the air."

A glimmer of hope remains after Tiki, who was a gift to Starrenburg, was spotted last Saturday along Binnie Road at an abandoned farmstead.

Even so, Starrenburg's faith is dwindling.

"He's probably suffering because his native habitat is in the African savannah and I don't know if he can survive the cold or not. He's been indoors all of his life. I'm just hoping he gets cold enough and hungry enough to go to a person."

Starrenburg is offering a substantial monetary reward to anyone who finds Tiki. Anyone with information can call 847-428-9194.

1 comment:

Large cat roaming U. of Maryland caught on tapeAugust 4, 2008 - 2:18pmcougar_threeThe cat is still on the loose. (Photo courtesy of UMd. Police)COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The large feline roaming the University of Maryland campus has now been caught on tape, and officials believe the cat could be an expensive pet.

The feline is believed to be a Savannah cat, a domestic crossbreed of a short-haired cat and an African Serval cat.

"It's something people have done over the years to create an extra-large pet kitty," says Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto.

The Savannah is known as the "great dane" of the cat family, weighing up to 50 pounds.

In Maryland, owning a Savannah is legal, however in some places, including Massachusetts, Georgia and New York City, it is illegal to have one as a pet.

The animal was spotted last Friday around Cole Field House near the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and through wooded areas around the Comcast Center and Arena Drive Garage. The cat hasn't shown aggression toward anyone, but officials advise people to stay away if they see the animal.

The cat is still on the loose.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP Radio. All Rights Reserved.)COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The large feline roaming the University of Maryland campus has now been caught on tape, and officials believe the cat could be an expensive pet.

The feline is believed to be a Savannah cat, a domestic crossbreed of a short-haired cat and an African Serval cat.

"It's something people have done over the years to create an extra-large pet kitty," says Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto.

The Savannah is known as the "great dane" of the cat family, weighing up to 50 pounds.

In Maryland, owning a Savannah is legal, however in some places, including Massachusetts, Georgia and New York City, it is illegal to have one as a pet.

The animal was spotted last Friday around Cole Field House near the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and through wooded areas around the Comcast Center and Arena Drive Garage. The cat hasn't shown aggression toward anyone, but officials advise people to stay away if they see the animal.